Back pack convertible to hand-bag



Feb. 6, 1962 F. o. BREWSTER 3,019,952

BACK PACK CONVERTIBLE TO HAND-BAG Filed May 18, 1959 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 INVENTOR FORREST 0- BREWSTER .AGENT F. O. BREWSTER BACK PACK CONVERTIBLE TO HAND-BAG 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 Feb. 6, 1962 Filed May 18, 1959 INVENTOR FORREST 0. BREWSTER 3319352 BACK PACK CQNVERTIBLE T HAND-BAG Forrest Uiiver Brewster, Banft, Alberta, Qanada Filed May 18, 1959, der. No. 813,847 Qiaims. (1. 224--9) The present invention relates to packsacks, haversacks,

carryalls and the like, and in particular to kitbags or packsacks that are suited to doubling as handbags.

The object of the invention is to provide a packsack the shoulder straps of which are so arranged as to be capable of being manipulated to form handbag handles.

Another object of the invention is to provide a kitbag the entire interior of which is readily accessible.

Additional objects will be apparent from the following description which will be based on the accompanying drawings in which:

FIG. 1 is a plan view of the kitbag with the shoulder or carrying straps disposed in the form of handles;

P16. 2 is a side view of the kitbag as shown in FIG. 1;

FIG. 3 is a perspective view of the kitbag with shoulder straps disposed for carrying as a packsack;

FIG. 4 is an end elevation view of the kitbag;

FIG. 5 is a plan view showing the rear wall of thekitbag;

FIG. 6 is a section view showing the attachment of strap ends to the rear wall;

FIG. 7 is a view partly in perspective showing the pouch end of the bag; and

FIG. 8 illustrates alternative attachment means for strap ends to the rear wall.

With the increasing popularity of such outdoor activities as skiing, hiking, cycling, mountain-climbing and so on there has been a demand for more serviceable and more adaptable kitbags, and in particular for kitbags that will double as luggage and that resemble suitcases in having relatively accessible interiors and which do not have to be emptied of their entire contents in order that a desired article may be located.

Specifically the kitbag according to the present invention is generally rectangular in plan view or side elevation and is semi-elliptical or roughly triangular in transverse crosssection. A pair of semi-elliptical or triangular end walls are separated by a pair of side Walls, the latter being joined with the end walls, and with a single bottom or rear wall. The upper adjacent edges of the two side walls are securable or attachable together detachably by means of a separate fastener such as a zipper. The ends of a pair of straps are attached by loose connections to a common securing means at about the mid-point of the rear wall disposed toward one end thereof, the opposite or free ends of the straps being releasably securable in buckles provided for the purpose and situated one at either side of said rear wall toward the opposite end thereof; paired strap-engaging keepers are stitched to the side walls and are mounted adjacent to and parallel to the separable fastener. A pocket is mounted on that end wall normally uppermost when the bag serves as a pack. Two series of lash-line securing members such as rings or buckles are mounted in spaced relation along the sides of the kitbag in line with the strap-engaging members.

When the bag is being used as a kitbag the straps serve as shoulder straps and when the bag is to be used as a piece of luggage the straps may be unbuckled, laced through the keepers and rebuckled thereby being formed into handles.

The bag 1 comprises paired side wall sections 2 and 3, paired end wall sections 4 and 5, and a single bottom or rear wall section 6. Edges 7, 8, 9 of the side wall sections are stitched to the end walls 4 and 5 and the bottom wall 6 by means of lines 10 of stitching as shown. Edges 11 and 11a of the side Wall sections are joined by a fastening atent C) element such as zipper or slide fastener 12. The bag as constructed will be seen from FIG. 4 and FIG. 6 to be semi-elliptical or roughly triangular in cross-section when viewed from either end, the bottom wall 6 being flattened in order to stabilize the bag in its resting position on the floor, and the side Walls 2 and 3 being curved. If desired botton wall 6 may be stiffened by means of a panel, or a Wire or tubular frame suitably and conventionally secured thereto.

The bag is transported by means of straps 13 and 14, of unequal width along their length, one wider end of each strap secured hondo fashion to separate rings 15, 15' the latter being supported from loop" 16 located along the center line of bottom wall 6 and about a quarter of its length from end wall 4. The straps are so secured to their respective rings 15, 15' that they are capable of rotating about two axes with respect to loop 16. The free narrower ends 17 and 18 of straps 13 and 14 are adapted to i be secured in buckles, the end 17 in buckle 19 and the end 18 in buckle 20, the buckles being secured along the side edges of the bottom wall about one-quarter of the bag length from the end wall 5.

Strap-retaining loops or keepers 21 and 22 are mounted on side walls 2 and 3 respectively by means of stitching 23 for example, the retaining members being mounted adjacent to meeting edges 11 and 11a of the side walls and slide fastener 12 and parallel thereto. Strap-keepers or retaining loops 21a and 21b are formed by means of stitching in member 21 and similar tunnels or loops 22a and 22b are formed in member 22.

If desired a pouch or pocket space 25 may be provided adjacent to end wall 4 closable by means of flap 26 secured to the edges of end wall 4 and to an end edge of side wall 2. A slide-fastener 27 having a slide handle 33 is provided to permit the flap 26 to be detachably secured to edge of end wall 4 at its juncture with end edge of side wall 3.

An auxiliary handle or supporting strap 28 may be conventionally mounted on end wall 5.

A group of spaced apart lash-line retaining members such as buckles or rings 29 and 30 may be mounted in opposed pair relation on side walls 2 and 5. The number and location of devices 29, 30 may be chosen to take up a significant part of the tangential load on fastener 12.

Closing members 32 and 33 for slide fasteners 12 and 27 are so arranged as to meet at a common hasp 34 secured to the bag so that all fasteners may be locked together by means of a single lock (not shown).

When straps 13 and 14 are to serve as shoulder straps, that is whenever the bag is to be used as a packsack, they are released from keepers 21, 22 to assume the free position shown in FIGS. 3 and 5. When it is desired that they serve as luggage handles as shown in FIGS. 1 and 2, ends 17 and 18 may quickly be released from buckles 19 and 20 and laced through the keepers. End 17 is threaded through loop 21b and back through loop 21a and re secured in buckle 19, while end 18 is correspondingly threaded through loop 22a and back through loop 225 and resecured in buckle 20, thus forming the pair of straps 13 and 14 into adjacent handles 35 and 36 that may be grasped with one hand for comfortable carrying of the container as a handbag.

It will be evident from the foregoing description that applicant has invented an improved combined ldtbag and handbag. The design of the bag enables it to retain pleasing appearance under all conditions of use and results moreover in the provision of flattened ends and a flattened underside or bottom which comfortably fits the carriers back and which enables it to stand stably in upright position and when resting on its underside will not easily roll over. The full length slide-fastener joining the two side members enables the bag to be fully accessible when opened and obviates the dumping of the entire contents when a particular article is being sought.

The hondo-like attachment between the fixed ends of the straps 13 and 14 and ring 15 permits almost 180 de grees of rotation of the straps on the rings and'of the ring itself thereby obviating any distortion of the bag or twisting of the straps, the result being that the straps lie flat against the bag when they are adjusted to serve as handles and lie comfortably on the shoulders and back and under the arms of the wearer when the bag is being used as a packsack.

The pocket is useful for carrying small tools, and articles, and the lash-lines may be used to secure blankets, sleeping-bag, and apparel for convenient accessibility.

The invention will be particularly defined in the following claims.

I claim:

1. A dual-purpose container having a planar bottom wall of rectangular outline formed with longitudinal side margins and transverse end margins, a pair of end wall sections and a pair of rectangular side wall sections connected together and with said bottom wall, said side wall sections having closing means along their upper longitudinal marginal edges, and a harness for supporting the container alternatively as a back pack or as a handbag, comprising a pair of straps each having one end rotatably connected with said bottom wall intermediate the longitudinal side margins thereof and having the other end detachably and adjustably connected with said can tainer adjacent the longitudinal side margins of said bottom wall, said strap one ends being spaced from an end wall and adjacently disposed and said other ends being spaced from each other and from the other end wall whereby to form a back pack for suspension by a pair of strap loops from the shoulders of a wearer, and pairs of retaining loop means spaced apart and secured adjacent the upper longitudinal marginal edges of said side walls intermediate the ends of said container for guidedly re ceiving strap portions to provide loop handles extending above said closing means when said container is'used as a handbag.

2. A container as claimed in claim 1 wherein said one ends of said straps are connected with said bottom wall by ring means secured along a median longitudinal line thereof and spaced about one-third the length of the bottom wall from a transverse end margin.

3. A container as claimed in claim 1 wherein said straps have greater width over a portion extending between said one end and a retaining loop than over the remaining length of the strap.

4. A dual-purpose container for use with a pair of elongated carrying straps, having a substantially planar rectangular bottom wall connected with a pair of end wall sections and a pair of rectangular side wall sections, said end wall sections having a straight bottom edge joined with transverse end margins of said bottom wall and having curved upper edges, said side wall sections having closing means co-extending along their upper longitudinal marginal edges, means rotatably connecting said straps by one end together in said bottom wall along a median longitudinal line at a point spaced from an end wall, and means detachably and adjustably connecting each other end adjacent longitudinal side margins of said bottom wall spaced from the other end wall whereby to form a pair of loops connected by their ends at spaced points in said bottom wall, and retaining loop means secured adjacent said closing means intermediate said end walls for guidedly receiving strap portions of a loop to provide loop handles for carrying said container as a hand bag or optionally for carrying said container as a back pack when said strap portions are not received under said retaining loop means.

5. A container as claimed in claim 4 wherein said one ends of said strap are secured for limited rotation upon a ring fixed on said bottom wall about one-third of the length of said bottom wall from said one end wall, and each said other end is spaced by about one-third of the length of said bottom wall from said other end wall.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 1,370,636 Dwyer Mar. 8, 1921 1,586,058 Winfield May 25, 1926 2,144,266 Nathan Jan. 17, 1939 2,210,351 Westendorf Aug. 6, 1940 2,249,841 Loos et al July 22, 1941 2,533,850 Syracuse Dec. 12, 1950 FOREIGN PATENTS 703,299 France Feb. 3, 1931 893,999 Germany Oct. 22, 1953 

